Page 15 - Impression June 2020

"I came here because this is the greatest country on earth—that's how I felt when I came here
almost 30 years ago," said Kisuule, associate director of the Division of Hospital Medicine at
Bayview and an associate professor of medicine. "It scares me that my son won't have the same
image that I have and the same vision of this country when I came here all those years ago. … I

still have hope. I came here with hope and I want for my son to have hope."

Thomas Elliott, a second-year pediatrics resident at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and
president-elect of the House Staff Diversity Council, read a statement during Friday's
demonstration that identified racism as a "public health crisis." He urged Johns Hopkins to
continue to work to translate its support for diversity, equity, and inclusion into "tangible and

perceived impacts for not only the Hopkins community but the Greater Baltimore community as
well."

"Recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many more by police
brutality have forced us to acknowledge the reality of anti-black racism, its long history, and its
current force in our institutional and social structures and highlighted our responsibility for

ending it," he said. "So today, we kneel in solidarity with White Coats for Black Lives, Black Lives
Matter, and the protests and demonstrations around the country that are collectively asking us
to dismantle racist policies and cultures in our communities.

"When we work together, we can dismantle all forms of oppression and racism within our
institution and beyond."

Jessica Bienstock, professor of gynecology and obstetrics and faculty adviser to the House Staff
Diversity Council, added: "As physicians, citizens, and human beings we must all speak out

against injustice and inequity. I am proud of and grateful to the Johns Hopkins House Staff
Diversity Council members who organized this event. Their work allows us, their teachers and
colleagues, to commit ourselves to combating racism and becoming anti-racists. As a health care
organization, we are entrusted to restore and promote the health of the patients and

communities we serve. As healers and teachers, we must use our roles in society to repair the
wrongs of the past and present and work together to make a positive difference in our society.
The White Coats for Black Lives event was a meaningful step on that journey."